DEEP IMPACTS
Keeping competitions relevant and exciting is important, which is why it’s crucial that they foster strong relationships with music agents and audiences
In her timely book Not for Profit, the philosopher Martha Nussbaum makes a strong case for education in the arts and humanities in an age obsessed with teaching the skills required for profit-making. ‘An education for economic growth will,’ she suggests, ‘first of all, have contempt for [the liberal arts], because they don’t look like they lead to personal or national economic advancement.’ Nussbaum’s thesis argues that the arts are essential to human development, the health of democratic societies and the increase in opportunities to all. Music, theatre, literature and play stand on her checklist of liberating forces, disciplines hostile to obtuseness, groupthink and prejudice. Members of the World Federation of Music Competitions recognise the value of stimulating thought and encouraging debate and are increasingly working to reach new audiences and connect with like-minded partners across the music world.
The competition outreach process is alive and well at Finland’s Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition. The prestigious event, held every five years, has no difficulty in attracting capacity audiences to hear some of the world’s finest young singers. Its next edition, scheduled for 20-29 May 2019, will use everything from online streaming to video relays to the lobby areas of its Helsinki Music Centre home to reach beyond its traditional devotees. Marja-leena Pétas-arjava, chief executive of the Mirjam Helin Competition, believes in opening doors to classical music. ‘People don’t have to sit throughout the competition to get a taste of what it’s about,’ she notes. ‘We want as many people as possible to have a peek at the talent present here and to broaden our audience as a result.’
Because its jury members are strictly prohibited from speaking to the public or each other about individual performers, the Mirjam Helin Competition chose to create a Singers Studio, inspired by the idea of Manhattan’s Actors Studio. It offers an open forum where selected jury members are interviewed about their careers and what they have learned from decades of experience. ‘In this way, our audience gets to learn about the working lives of our jury and the career of being a singer,’ observes Pétas-arjava. This year’s competition, she adds, offers audiences further perspectives and insights from a ‘shadow jury’ of young professional singers. Its members will present informed opinions about each contestant, the ease or difficulty of their chosen repertoire and the quality of their interpretations. The competition’s chief executive will also give talks to satisfy strong public demand for details of the judging process and the jury rules. ‘It’s amazing how many people are interested in the process of building and running a competition,’ she observes.
The Helin Competition also directs its outreach activities towards the global community of artist managers. ‘Opinions about competitions vary, of course,’ notes Pétasarjava. ‘But I think they’re a very good way for young musicians to build a career. This is
‘Our audience gets to learn about the working lives of our jury’
where our connection with agents comes in. It’s important for us to have good relations with them, not least because they help in our search for the best jury members. And agents help us reach suitable applicants and some send us young artists as part of their careerbuilding process. I am personally very engaged with others in the music world. You have to understand what information is important to the agents, and meeting them regularly is the best way to know what they need.’
Atholl Swainston-harrison, chief executive of the International Artist Managers’ Association (IAMA), believes that classical music’s future depends on close cooperation and exchange of ideas between its many component parts. His organisation, the only worldwide association for classical music managements, is an associate member of the WFIMC. The relationship, he says, allows expertise to be shared and advice to be exchanged. ‘The need to associate has never been more necessary, because of changing circumstances in arts funding, audiences and so on. There’s energy and drive about WFIMC. They’ve upped their game over the past three years and are very good at communicating what their members are doing. What the Federation’s secretary general, Benjamin Woodroffe, has done to raise awareness of competitions is terrific.’
Artist managers, notes Swainston-harrison, appreciate the value of competitions that offer mentoring or professional development packages to their laureates. They also pay close attention to the quality and reliability of jury decisions. ‘If you ask them about the competitions they clock, they’ll say they look to the jury and the people who are making the judgments. There’s also interest in events, such as the Honens International Piano Competition
‘We want people to understand what competitions mean’
or the Queen Elisabeth Competition, that offer managed programmes for the winners.’
Competitions and agents share a mutual interest in presenting young musicians with sage advice at the right time. The best among them are more likely to dispense unfashionable homilies about making haste slowly than to push competition winners to accept plum dates before they are ready for them. Winning a competition, says Atholl Swainston-harrison, rarely propels laureates to overnight stardom. And it is no guarantee of representation from one of the big artist managements in London or New York. ‘I tell so many competition winners and aspiring soloists that they have very good agents in their home countries who are fully networked into the music business worldwide. In the end it’s all about the quality of the relationship.’ By working in partnership with managers, promoters and others, he concludes, competitions hold considerable power to set solid foundations for a performer’s career.
Since its first edition in 2013, the Schoenfeld International String Competition has become an important element of cultural life in Harbin, northeast China. The biennial event’s director of operations, Yeung-ping Chen, underlines the need for WFIMC members to educate audiences about what they do, how and why they do it, and what to watch for in the field of competition participants. ‘There are so many competitions in the world today,’ he states. ‘We’re a relative newcomer, and know there are many more to come in Asia. So we have to work hard to stand out. We want people to understand what music competitions mean and discover more about them. It’s vital that we work this process into our programme.’
Last year Chen organised Harbin’s inaugural Arts Leaders’ Summit as part of the fourth Schoenfeld Competition. It attracted representatives from international conservatoires and universities, arts managers, concert promoters, journalists and other influencers in the classical music world, the Harbin competition’s jury among them. ‘It was successful and meaningful because it was held alongside the competition. That allowed people to follow the competition rounds and engage in dialogue with colleagues about present challenges and future opportunities.’
The Schoenfeld Competition, says
Chen, aspires to become an indispensable international event. Most music competitions in China, he adds, rely on government funding, vulnerable to the cycle of changes to city mayors and local administrations. While the Schoenfeld Competition receives support from the legacy left by the California-based Schoenfeld sisters, violinist Alice and cellist Eleonore, providing a certain level of financial security, its long-term development will depend on winning friends close to home.
‘Harbin is a relatively small city compared to many in China, so the government here treasures any kind of international cultural events,’ explains Yeung-ping Chen. ‘We’re trying to make ourselves irreplaceable and independent. I’m very optimistic about the future of the Schoenfeld Competition and about building our audience in Harbin and worldwide. Of course, resources are essential, but the love for what we’re doing and what we contribute to society are important things. We’re doing this for our people and could not do it without their energy and support.’